Tuesday, July 02, 2013

Ten on Tuesday

100 degrees? No thank you. This heat can go back to Arizona or wherever it came from. I live in the Pacific Northwest for a reason. I become a total slug in this kind of weather. All I can stand to do is sit in a chair with a fan blowing directly on me. Don't ask me to move.

Obviously, we do not have air conditioning. By conscious/moral choice. (Yes, moral... don't get me started...) We have a little window unit that we've used a few times over the years... but mostly Asia asks me if I want him to bring it up and install it and mostly I say no. I think we've owned it for ten years and we've used it maybe four of the ten. We have some dear friends with an old house and two sweet little boys who haven't been sleeping because their room is upstairs and WAY to hot - so last night we were able to loan it to them. I live in a house full of people who can bite the bullet and muscle through a heat wave... but those poor sweet sweaty little boys didn't know what hit them and unfortunately were keeping their parents awake all night. Here's to sharing and sleep and community and old houses and the seasons of life... it's beautiful, eh?

Last week Asia and I were able to get away for four days for our 21st anniversary. We went to Cascade, Idaho, just south of McCall and relaxed.... relaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaxed. It's been a LONG time since we've had nothing to do together. The current standard of spending time together is generally one late dinner out a week if we're lucky... late as in after one of his last counseling sessions... like at 8:00 pm just so we can sit quietly together and share a meal and connect. Four days having him all to myself was heaven. I really, really like him.

Savannah is gone... she left Sunday and will be at Ghormley Meadow for three full weeks. The last I heard from her was Sunday about noon... You should know that Savannah and I connect a LOT - even when she is in school I get multiple texts and/or snapchats from her a day... so this business of not hearing from her at all for almost TWO WHOLE DAYS is killin' me. I'm so happy she gets to do this... but honestly, can't wait until I hear from her...

So today is July 2nd... and we're two days away from the 4th... and every year Asia and I have to come to the conclusion that as a family, we really suck at 4th of July traditions. We have none. He hates crowds. I hate hotdogs. Fireworks? Meh... We like the idea of doing something fun... but we never do anything. I have a Pinterest board with all sorts of fun red, white and blue food that I could take to a picnic or a lake cabin or a park if someone would invite us somewhere. But usually we just stay home and lament how silly it is that we never do anything fun. I LOVE tradition, but we really dropped the ball with this holiday...

I've planted tomatoes for years... last year was a total dud year - I think off of four plants I got maybe two tomatoes... so this year I dedicated a whole raised bed to them and planted early... and it's going to be a bumper crop... I've got tons of beautiful green tomatoes on ALL my plants... and more blossoms than I can count... it's going to be a good year. (I suppose that's one reason to be happy for the heat... my tomatoes are happy...)

Ethan was at Cougar Strings Camp at WSU last week - and LOVED it. He got to participate in technique, improv, vocal, chamber and large orchestra classes and learned SO much. He can't wait to go back next year... I think I'll be hauling that huge upright bass around for a LONG time. It's been SO fun to have one of my kids choose music... it was my thing and I love sharing it with him... it's VERY different from athletics, but makes me just as proud. I'm looking forward to five more years of watching him perform his way through school...

Asia turned 48 on Saturday... he's taken to saying he's 50 now... just to get used to the idea... (how can 50 be only two years away?) Please keep in mind I am WAY younger than him and nowhere near ready to start saying I'm 50....

Kyler was trained yesterday to work in the dairy department at Safeway... he's a checker most of the time but has the potential to get more hours if he's trained in other areas... working dairy means he has to be to work at 5:00 am - a perfect fit for him since he's always been my early-bird... he worked 5:00 to 10:00 yesterday and last night said "I don't even feel like I worked today..." LOVE that he's embracing/enjoying the discipline and benefit of being an early riser.